Bishop William Nolan Bishops in Britain have insisted that a proposed new immigration bill will “drastically alter opportunities” for migrants to “build their lives and contribute to society”.
In a joint statement sent to opposition party leaders at Westminster, bishops from Scotland and England and Wales encouraged the British government to consider amendments to the Immigration Bill currently before parliament.
“The Church is working to raise awareness of the settlement scheme and help those who are at risk of losing their status,” said Bishop William Nolan, Scotland’s lead bishop for migrants and refugees.
“Around 60% of Europeans living in the UK are Catholics. However, no scheme will reach all European citizens in the UK.
“Even if a small proportion do not make an application by the June 2021 deadline, this could leave thousands of people without legal status.
“We encourage amendments to the bill that will create a meaningful safety-net including options to extend the deadline.”
The bishops’ statement called for a time limit on detention, together with “a significant permanent reduction in the use of detention will allow us to properly protect people’s health and human dignity”.
“The UK remains the only European [entity] without a time limit on detention,” said Bishop Paul McAleenan, England and Wales’ lead bishop for migrants and refugees.
“This has devastating consequences for the well-being of vulnerable individuals who find themselves detained.
“It also has a significant impact on families who are separated with no indication of when they might be reunited.”
Threshold
In addition, the bishops also proposed that the minimum income threshold for family visas should be reduced.
“The minimum income threshold for family visas unjustly separates tens of thousands of couples, parents and children.
“This separation not only has serious implications on family life, but also has a direct impact on the development and well-being of children who are isolated from their parents in another country.”
Lastly, their statement also called for changes to the clergy visa system.
“Most Catholic dioceses previously used Tier 5 Religious Worker visas for priests to come on essential supply placements, allowing Catholics to continue attending Mass, the new Tier 2 visas have more than doubled the costs incurred by parishes arranging supply cover.
“Seminaries that conduct formation in English are not necessarily recognised by the Home Office as meeting the English language requirement under the Tier 2 route, meaning that many priests who have been educated to post-graduate level in English are nevertheless required to take a language test with extra logistical and cost implications.”
The statement concluded: “We strongly urge the government to accept amendments addressing these important issues and hope that MPs from all parties will take this opportunity to help create a more just and humane immigration system.”